A World Unseen
by bandobaby101
Summary: As the majority of the gang approach graduation they have many things to think off. Ulrich, though, has more to think of then most, including whether or not he can trust his friends with his most precious secret.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though.**

**This takes place a few years after Xana's been shut down. The gang now attends the high school, Spring Grove, that Kadic feeds into and Yumi was accepted at Oxford.**

**

* * *

**He walked along the lake, hands tucked carelessly in the pockets of his blue jeans and stared at nothing in the depths of the water. Scuffing his toe along the bank, he stopped exactly thirty yards from the pier and stared deeper into the water. He could of sworn he saw something glittering on the bottom, but he brushed it off and stared across the lake. He let the events of the day slide through his mind, discarding almost everything. The days have been quiet recently, and he was beginning to wonder what he'd do when he graduated. There would be really no point for him to remain here, but he couldn't just abandon his friends. 

The wind picked up, and he could almost hear his best friend whisper in his ear. He shook his head, not in the mood to have his thoughts examined, even when he was the one examining them. He glanced into the depths of the lake again. Staring back at him was a young man with unruly brown hair, somber brown eyes, and eyebrows knitted together in thought. Wondering who it was, he suddenly remembered that it was him. 'I've changed a lot since I've last been here,' he thought, lifting his head again. Last time he was there he was nothing more than a child, his brown hair still unruly, but his eyes were full of joy and he didn't have nearly as much on his mind.

The glint of light caught his eye again, and this time he rolled up his pants and waded in to see what it was. Scooping up a handful of sand, he saw a small, ovalish object in the middle of his hand. Carefully rinsing it off, he held it up to the moonlight and watched as a pale blue light danced over the ground. Smiling at a deeper significance, Ulrich Stern carefully tucked the gem into his jean pocket and headed back into the woods, pausing only once to glance behind him at the calm water.

He had been gone barely ten minutes when the water churned where he had stood. An odd, shimmery light appeared from the bottom of the lake, and the water churned even more. Suddenly it stopped, leaving no sign behind. A light summer breeze picked up a wayward leaf and tossed it into the lake, the moonlight played over it, and a fish jumped in the middle of the lake. A flash of light illuminated the bank briefly, showing another gem, this time orange, had settled in the place where the previous gem had been.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ulrich leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He was almost done with his history report, he just had to write the conclusion, but he couldn't concentrate with his roommate yacking on the phone with his current girlfriend. Worse, the two had been in a conversation for the better part of twenty minutes now and seemed to have no intentions of hanging up anytime soon. Sighing, Ulrich bent his head over his paper again, intent on at least trying to finish the paper before midnight. His walk had done him good, but a decent night's sleep would do even better.

Pencil poised over the paper, Ulrich began to think of his history. He has kept so much of his past secret from his friends. It was almost time to let them know the truth. He sighed, tilting his chair back again. He either had to tell his friends the truth or he had to pack up and leave. His best friend was good at packing up and leaving. Shaking his head at that thought, he slipped his hand into his pocket to clench the gem. At the touch of his fingers, though, the gem lit up again with a light brilliant enough to shine through the denim of his pocket. Hastily, Ulrich removed his hand from his pocket and tossed his blonde roommate a glance.

Thankfully, Odd DellaRobbia was so absorbed in his conversation he hadn't noticed anything. Sighing yet again, Ulrich carefully landed his chair on all four legs, stood up, stretched, and walked to the door. Carefully opening it, he slipped into the quiet hall and walked down to the bathroom. Once safely in the bathroom, Ulrich pulled the gem out of his pocket. The light danced again, illuminating the dark bathroom with such brilliance that Ulrich had to squint in order to see.

An image swirled in the light, its back towards him. Ulrich made out a young woman with shoulder length hair wearing a halter style evening gown before the image turned to face him. With a start, Ulrich recognized the facial structure of his best friend. He hadn't seen her in years, not since they had to separate to protect each other.

Ulrich watched as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared off into the distance, her hazel eyes intent. Deep in thought, she didn't notice when a strand of her copper hair fell into her face. Carelessly, she flicked her hand over her face, sending the hair back into place before crossing her arms again. The white of her dress shone against her tanned skin, and Ulrich found himself wondering why she was dressed in such finery. He hoped she had found a place to settle for awhile as well, but knew that the odds were slim. She would pick up and leave at the slightest hint of danger.

Eventually, Ulrich decided it would be best if he returned to his room. Tucking the gem once more in his pocket, Ulrich crept from the bathroom to his room, carefully making as little sound as possible. Slipping his door open, Ulrich entered, expecting Odd to still be on the phone with his girlfriend. Instead, he saw Odd standing over his desk, looking at his paper.

"Have you even started yours?" Ulrich asked, moving in behind his friend and pulling the paper gently from his hands.

"Of course I did," Odd scoffed, moving towards his own desk. "I was just seeing if we had any of the same thoughts."

"I doubt it," Ulrich said, sitting down. "Our lives have been influenced differently before Xana, remember?" Pulling out his pencil again, Ulrich scratched something down. Seeing her again, if only a reflection, had given Ulrich a clarity of the mind he hadn't felt in years.

"Still," Odd said as he pulled out a bundle of papers, "we could have had some same ideas."

Ulrich laughed as he tucked his essay into a folder and under his mattress. "Don't try to get it out," he said as he got ready for bed. "You need to do your own work." Flopping under the covers, Ulrich stared at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. "Besides, you're the one who was talking to Clarice since I got back from my walk. You need to organize your time better."

"My time is organized," Odd squeeked indignantly. "It just got a little messed up tonight, that's it. Where did you go just now, anyway? You were gone an awfully long time."

"I had to use the bathroom," Ulrich fibbed. "Dinner didn't agree with me very well."

"Whatever," Odd drawled, rolling his eyes. "You ask me, you've been acting really strange lately."

"Strange how?" Ulrich turned to look at Odd. For some reason, Odd was avoiding looking in Ulrich's direction.

"You always taking walks alone," Odd said. "You eat in a hurry and you don't come back to the room until really late. At night you mumble to yourself." Odd turned to look at his friend. "We're worried about you, Ulrich. Yumi wants to come back from college to make sure you're all right because you haven't called her in weeks."

At the name of his girlfriend, Ulrich's stomach clenched. In all his worries about packing up and leaving or letting his friends know the truth, he forgot about Yumi. He had been meaning to call her, but he always got distracted. "I've been meaning to call her," he mumbled.

"'Meaning to call her' and calling her are two separate things, Ulrich," Odd said as he turned back to his desk. "I don't know, Ulrich. Maybe its you who needs to organize their time better."

Ulrich waited awhile, just in case Odd had anything to add. When it seemed he would add nothing more, Ulrich rolled over and fell asleep, his thoughts drifting carelessly to Yumi and his best friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though.**

**This takes place a few years after Xana's been shut down. The gang now attends the high school, Spring Grove, that Kadic feeds into and Yumi was accepted at Oxford.**

**

* * *

**Ulrich awoke when the first threads of morning light began to creep through the windows of his and Odd's room. He lay there a minute, thinking about his dreams and their significance. He now knew what to do. Slipping out of bed, Ulrich quickly and quietly moved to his desk and pulled out three clean sheets of paper. He sat down, put his pen briefly to his mouth, and then let the pen fly. When finished, he folded the notes and addressed one to Yumi and another to Jeremie, Aelita, and Odd. The third remained blank. Careful not to disturb Odd, who had somehow fallen asleep at his desk, Ulrich slipped on his favorite pair of jeans and a simple black tee. Tucking the three notes into his pocket with the blue gem, Ulrich slipped out of the room and headed downstairs for breakfast.

He was halfway through a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage when he was asked, "Late night?"

Glancing up, Ulrich smiled at his other blonde haired friend. "I should be asking you the same thing," Ulrich said to Jeremie Belpois, reaching for his coffee. Smiling, Jeremie sat down. "Where's Aelita?" Ulrich asked, refering to their pink and chocolate brown haired friend and Jeremie's long term girlfriend.

"Still in line, she wanted oatmeal," Jeremie said, biting into his toast, "and you still didn't answer my question."

Ulrich shrugged. "Late enough. Odd was talking to Clarice for forever and I couldn't concentrate."

"Somebody needs to talk to that boy," Aelita Stones said as she came up and sat next to Jeremie. "He spent half of Psychology texting her yesterday and then had the nerve to ask me for my notes."

"That's Odd for you, Ae," Jeremie said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I caught him trying to copy parts of my history report last night," Ulrich said, setting his fork down on his now empty plate. "Speaking of which, I need to run to the room and get it between classes."

"Why not get it now?" Aelita asked, looking up from her oatmeal.

"Odd's still sleeping," Ulrich said, standing up with his tray. "He fell asleep over his own essay. Besides, I want to take a walk and clear my head before that Greek mythology test." Balancing his tray on one hand, Ulrich waved at his friends and headed to the dirty tray counter.

"Do you think Odd talked to him like we asked?" Jeremie said, brushing crumbs off his hands and reaching into his bag.

"If he was on the phone with Clarice, I doubt it," Aelita bluntly stated, taking a sip of her orange juice. "He forgets everything else when he talks with her. I'm surprised he's passing any of his classes."

"Still," Jeremie came up holding a thick Calculus book, "he might have said something. He's not completely stupid."

"You can ask him, then," Aelita said, gesturing to the food line. Odd stood there in rumpled cords and a purple shirt. "Looks like he finally woke up."

"Looks like he just rolled out of bed," Jeremie muttered as Odd picked up a tray. They watched as Odd sleepwalked his way down the food selections and made his way over to them.

"Have you guys seen Ulrich?" Odd yawned. "He wasn't in his bed when I woke up."

"He's already had breakfast and left for his morning walk," Jeremie said. He waited for Odd to sit down and start eating before adding, "Did you talk to him last night?"

"I brought it up," Odd said, mouth half full of sausage. "He didn't offer any information, though."

"What exactly did you say?" Aelita asked, setting her tray on Jeremie's.

"He made a comment about me organizing my time," Odd said, swallowing one mouthful and shovelling another in, "and I asked him where he had been because he had disappeared for an hour while I was talking to Clarice. He had already gone on a walk earlier. He said dinner hadn't agreed with him and I told him we were worried and he fell asleep."

Jeremie and Aelita exchanged looks, Jeremie's exasperated and Aelita's somewhat amused. "That wasn't exactly what we asked you to talk to him about," Jeremie sighed, burying his head in his hands. "We wanted you to find out where he's been going."

"I don't think its anywhere bad," Odd said, draining his orange juice and starting on his coffee.

"That's not the point," Aelita said. "Ulrich's been acting strange ever since we shut Xana down. He could be doing something at the factory that could accidentally reactivate the supercomputer."

"Alright, alright," Odd said, gathering up his tray and the trays of his two friends. "I'll ask him tonight."

"Make sure you do," Jeremie said, tucking his Calculus book back in his bag. "Good luck on your mythology test." Odd winced.

"That's today, isn't it?" he mumbled. "I'm so dead. I can't keep Athena and Artemis separate if my life depended on it. I hate mythology."

"Athena's the goddess of wisdom and Artemis is the goddess of the moon," Aelita said, pullling her bag on her shoulder. "And why did you take this class if you hate mythology?"

"Because I thought it would be an easy A," Odd said as he dropped the trays off and followed Aelita to their first period class while Jeremie split of for his computer programming class.

"Nothing's ever an 'easy A,' Odd," Aelita sighed. "You usually have to work for it. Sometimes more than originally thought."

"I noticed," Odd grumbled, waving as he saw Ulrich approach them from the woods. "How was your walk?"

"Quiet," Ulrich said, tucking something into his pocket. "Ready for this test?"

"No," Odd said quickly, looking a bit green. "I'm going to fail."

"You should have studied last night instead of talking to Clarice," Ulrich said, stretching his arms over his head.

"Are you ready?" Aelita asked Ulrich, searching his face for clues to where he's been.

"Of course," Ulrich said, holding the door open for Aelita and Odd. "My walks weren't just walks. They were quiet study times." Aelita nodded, still looking for something in Ulrich's face. There was someting different about him, something she couldn't place. "I'll see you guys in history when this test's done," Ulrich continued, slipping into his seat. "I gotta go get my essay from the room."

Aelita nodded, chewing her lip as the teacher passed out the test. There was something in Ulrich's manner that disturbed her. She couldn't place it, but he seemed...

'He's too relaxed,' she thought, looking at question one. 'This test isn't bothering him at all.'

XXXXXXXXXX

Ulrich pulled the folder out from under his mattress and set it on his bed. He had ten minutes before passing period, and he wanted to be long gone before that. Opening the folder, he stuck the notes addressed to his friends in the sleeve opposite his report. He had already placed the blank note that morning. Closing the folder, Ulrich tossed it on the bed, went to his closet, and pulled out his hiking backpack. Not bothering to be neat, he shoved as many of his clothes as possible into it, making sure he had a good mixture of cold and warm weather clothes. Zippering the main section closed, Ulrich began opening several of the smaller compartments and checked their contents. Satisfied with what he saw, Ulrich slung the bag on his shoulders and began to leave. Hand on the knob, he stopped. There was something nagging him, something else he knew he should do before he left. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the blue gem form the night before and an orange gem he retrieved from the lake that morning. he stared at them a second before turning back to the bed. Pulling out the note to Yumi, he quickly scrawled a postscript before placing it back in the folder with the orange gem. Tucking the blue gem back in his pocket, he went back to the door and quickly gave the room one last scan. He felt a twinge of regret but quickly repressed it. 'It's for the best,' he thought, slipping out the door and walking down the hall. 'I can't lead my friends into danger.'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Does anyone know where Ulrich Stern is?"

Jeremie jerked up from rereading his essay. Quickly, he scanned the room, but he couldn't find Ulrich anywhere. "He said he had to get his essay from his room," Aelita offered up, tossing her boyfriend a confused shrug.

"Well," Ms. Kassner said, looking up from attenedance, "that doesn't do him any good. Mr. DellaRobbia, can you go tell him to join us?"

Odd quickly stood up and walked out of the class. Breathing a sigh of relief at his temporary freedom, he took his time walking across the courtyard to the dormitories. Pausing at the door, Odd looked around the courtyard in case Ulrich was on his way back to class. Not seeing him, Odd dashed up the stairs with a sinking feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. Ulrich wasn't one to just blow off a class, especially after working so hard on an essay.

Reaching the door to his and Ulrich's room, Odd didn't bother knocking. Flying in, the first thing that registered was that Ulrich wasn't there. The second thing he saw was Ulrich's stuff thrown everywhere, like somebody had gone through everything in a hurry. Wondering what was going on , Odd turned around, and his eye was quickly drawn to Ulrich's bed, the only organized spot. Lying in the middle of the bed was the folder Odd saw Ulrich stick his essay in the night before.

"That wasn't there earlier," Odd muttered, picking it up. Opening it, Odd saw the report still in there next to two notes. Seeing one addressed to him, Aelita, and Jeremie, Odd debated opening it. A glance at the clock told him he didn't have time, so Odd just closed the folder and brought it with him as he left the room, planning on reading it later.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, he wasn't in the room," Jeremie muttered, ignoring his lasagna, "he's not in the infirmary, and nobody remembers seeing him since he left after finishing his test."

"He definitly went to the room," Odd pointed out, shovelling food into his mouth as fast as possible, "or somebody did, at least. It wasn't that messy when I went to breakfast."

"Odd, chew with your mouth shut," Aelita said, looking up from her study of the note. "It's disgusting." Turning back to the note, she said, "This is definitly Ulrich's handwriting, and its well thought out. Listen to this, 'I didn't want it to come to this, but this is the only was I could protect you. I can't hide anymore, and I can't risk letting you guys get hurt.'"

"What's he think we are, wimps!" Odd cried out, spraying lasagna on his friends. "We took on Xana, we can take on anything!"

"Odd, quiet down," Jeremie said, grimly wiping lasagna from his glasses. Aelita had managed to avoid the worst of it by holding up the folder. "Ulrich must have had a good reason for thinking we couldn't handle it, whatever it is. Can Aelita continue without anymore outbursts?"

Odd nodded, and Aelita waited another second before continuing, "'I know you're probably wondering what I'm talking about, but I can't tell you. I wold if I could. That's why I've been taking so many walks. I've been trying to figure out what to do. I was hoping I could stick around until graduation, maybe longer, but I realized last night that it just wasn't possible. The longer I stay, the more danger you're in. Make sure Yumi gets my other note, and, if anything happens, go to the factory. It's safe from detection. I made sure of that.'"

"Detection from what?" Odd asked after a moment of silence.

"Hopefully we don't find out," Jeremie said, pulling the note from Aelita's hands to examine it himself, "but I think its a safe bet that Ulrich's gone."

"This is a joke, right?" Odd asked, trying to laugh. He looked at both his friends' faces, begging them to affirm his theory. "Ulrich is just joking with us and he'll be back by tomorrow, right?"

"Odd, somehow I don't think so," whispered Aelita, staring off into the distance. "The note's too real, and it does explain Ulrich's peculiar behavior over the past years if he knew we were in danger. I wouldn't put it past him to do something this chivalrous. It definitly explains why he left his essay in the room this morning and refused to get it until passing period. I think Ulrich's really gone. We're not going to see him again."


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though.****

* * *

**Ulrich stood where he found the gems, listening for a sign that he was truly alone. He barely made it to the woods unseen. He had just made it to the first tree when the bell rang, and he had to run to get shelter. Now, he was pondering his next step. he knew he had to leave his friends and his home, that much was clear. He didn't know if he should stay in the world he was currently in or risk a life in another world. Either option was dangerous.

Sitting on the bank, Ulrich pulled the gem out of his pocket to look at it closer. It was such a pale blue that it was almost translucent. Rolling it between his hands, he wondered what he should do with it. Keeping it in his pocket was fine for now, but he could easily lose it if things got messy later on. Unfortunately, his pocket was his only option right now. He didn't have any other way to carry it and it was too dangerous to go back and get something to make a necklace or something.

Sighing, Ulrich held the gem up to the light. There seemed to be no flaws in it, but there was something about it that didn't sit right with Ulrich. Carefully turning it over, Ulrich was about to start a thorough investigation of the gem when he heard something snap in the woods. he froze, carefully turning his head towards where the noise had come from, his hand fumbling to store the gem in his pocket. He sat there a minute, not moving, watching for the creator of the noise. Seeing and hearing nothing else, Ulrich carefully stood up, careful to make as little noise as possible. It could have been an animal, but Ulrich knew it wasn't. He had learned to trust his gut, and his gut was telling him to get the hell out of there.

Hoisting his backpack to his shoulders, Ulrich cast a nervous eye around the bank of the lake. If he headed into the forest, he could run into whatever was looking for him, but Ulrich didn't feel like trying a world jump. Remembering the pier, Ulrich began jogging towards it. He had barely gone five yards when an unearthly scream filled the air, and Ulrich felt something hit his back hard.

Falling to the ground, Ulrich was able to protect his ribs from the worst of the damage, but the air was knocked out of him. Seeing stars, Ulrich felt whatever had hit him begin to envelope him. He struggled, trying to break free before it consumed him. He had a guess as to what held him, but he sincerely hoped he was wrong. He was almost free when a heavily booted foot came down in front of him.

"They said it would be hard," a voice scoffed, "and yet, here you are, all wrapped up without a fight."

"Its always easier when you catch your victim unawares," Ulrich said, struggling even more. He knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't remember.

"Always fighting, aren't you, Ulrich?" his captor said. "This time, I got the upperhand. You're not escaping this time. You're going to face the justice of Salem Hak, and I get a tidy reward for bringing you in."

Ulrich couldn't argue. The enveloping goo, known as Sangre Col, had began draining Ulrich's strength the second it touched him. Ulrich stopped struggling and channeled his remaining strength into figuring out the voice. The twang he knew very well. It was the accent of somebody who spent decades training in a Tilwa training camp. The only people who trained in Tilwa were the San Til-We, the worst type of bounty hunters.

Ulrich gazed at the dirty boot of his captor. He knew a handful of people who became San Til-We, but only one who was old enough to have graduated the camp.

"Cole," Ulrich whispered, letting the darkness of unconsciousness consume him as Sangre Col drained the last of his strength.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Disembarking from her plane, Yumi Ishiyami scanned the waiting crowd for her friends. Catching a glimpse of vertical movement, Yumi smiled wryly as she saw a bouncing, blond and purple figure. Adjusting her carry-on, she started wading through the other passengers and their various welcoming committees.

Breaking through a group of tourists, Yumi smiled as she saw her friends. Her smile vanished at their sober expressions and the fact the Ulrich wasn't with them. "Hey guys," she said, shifting her bag again. "Where's Ulrich?"

Jeremie glanced around the terminal and carefully pulled a sheet of paper and an orange gem out of his pocket. Giving them to Yumi, he said, "Ulrich made us promise to give you this. You should read it first."

With some trepidation, Yumi took the items. She carefully examined teh gem, turning it over in her hands. She could have sworn she saw a glimpse of Ulrich in the core, but it was gone in a blink. Tucking it into her pocket, Yumi flipped the note open. She read it quickly, slipping her hand into the pocket with the gem briefly at the end. "Where'd he go?" she whispered, folding the note and slipping it in with the gem.

"We don't know," Aelita said, wrapping her arms round her friend's shoulders. "He disappeared between mythology and history. Odd said the room looked like somebody ransacked it or packed in a hurry."

"But what type of danger could we possibly be in?" Yumi said. "It doesn't make sense."

"We'll talk about it at your house," Jeremie said, grabbing Odd's elbow to pull him out of the way of an elderly couple. "Sissy's been asking where Ulrich has gone since she realized he'd vanished, so the school isn't safe."

Yumi nodded, and hitched her backpack on her shoulder again. Turning, they left the terminal.

XXXXXXXXXXX

After a quick hello to ther parents, Yumi led her friends upstairs to her room. They scattered to various places around the room while Yumi picked up a pillow and hugged it to her chest. "What have you found out since he vanished?" she asked.

"He went into the forest," Jeremie said. "Millie claims she saw him duck under the trees between first and second. It looks like he went to the lake and got into some type of fight, but that could have been anything since we couldn't get there until after classes."

"Why would he leave?" Yumi murmured, rocking back and forth. Concerned, Aelita moved up from her spot on the floor and pulled Yumi into a hug. Yumi rocked harder, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"What was with the gem thing?" Odd asked, shifting uncomfortably where he sat. "There wasn't any mention of it in our note, and Jeremie wouldn't let us read your note."

Sniffling slighty, Yumi reached into her pocket and pulled the gem out. Catching the light, it sent a peculiar speckle pattern on the bed sheet. "Its supposed to call for him if I'm in trouble," she whispered. "Its supposed to be a pathway for him to find me again. He called it a Codex Gem and said different colors have different properties."

"I've never heard fo a Codez Gem," Jeremie said, holding out his hand for the gem. Yumi handed it over. "Aelita, have you ever heard of something like this?"

"Never," Aelita commented, watching as jeremie held it to the light. There appeared to be no flaws, but Aelita could have sworn she saw a hairline crack at its heart. "Its not like anything I've seen in Lyoko or Earth."

Jeremie handed it back to Yumi, and she tucked it back in her pocket. "I think its real," Jeremie began. "In fact-"

"I've heard of a Codex Gem before!" Odd interrupted, bouncing to his feet. "They're supposed to be sacred!"

"Where'd you learn that?" Jeremie coolly asked. "One of your comic books?"

"No," Odd shook his head vehemently. "Ulrich was muttering about them in his sleep the night before he disappeared. He said that one's a sign, two's a warning, and he should have stuck around after he found the first to see if another would appear, and he'd go back to the lake first thing in the morning."

"He said all that?" Aelita questioned, clearly wondering if this was one of Odd's pranks, then deciding that Odd wouldn't be so harmful, especially after Xana.

"Not exactly," Odd said, thinking. "It was broken dream talk. That's what I gathered. he also muttered, 'San Til-We' and 'forbidden truth' and 'hid too long,' but I couldn't make anything of these.

"What was he hiding from?" Yumi asked.

"I don't know," Jeremie said, "but I know how we can find out. Odd, can you remember any of his earlier mutterances?"

"Sure," Odd said, "why?"

"We're going to try and piece them together, " Jeremie said, pulling out his labtop. "Maybe if we can put a picture together based on what Ulrich said during his dreams we can find out where he went."

"Its worth a try," Aelita said, sliding next to her boyfriend. "Odd, tell us everything."

"Let me think," Odd said, scratching his head. "It started at Kadic..."


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though. **

Ulrich woke up, head pounding from the drug they used to keep him subdued. Suppressing an urge to moan, Ulrich opened his eyes a crack. The light in the chamber he was in was dim, so he opened his eyes even more. The area was empty of everything. Carefully, he opened his eyes all the way and turned his neck, wincing in pain. Forcing the pain to the back of his mind, Ulrich scanned his surroundings.

The walls were a silvery stone, slick with water. Otherwise, his prison was rather drab and cave-like. Carefully, Ulrich strained against his bonds, trying to establish what exactly held him. Instantly, his wrists were bit with a harsh, cold fire. Biting his lip to keep from screaming, he tasted a metallic tang on his tongue. Easing back, he let the pain subside. His arms were numb up to his shoulders. Cursing under his breath at his predicament, Ulrich froze when he heard mutterings from down the only visible entrance. He instantly closed his eyes and forced himself to act unconscious.

"Are you sure he'll give us the information we need," a gruff voice said, bouncing off the walls and causing Ulrich to wince in pain. Quickly, he shoved it to the back of his mind, and the pain receded.

"I know Ulrich. He's not an idiot. He'll tell you what you want to know." Ulrich became even limper. He might have been able to fool the gruff man with his tense limp, but he'd never be able to fool the second man, if he was guessing right. He heard the footsteps change as the men entered his prison.

"You have been giving him the drug adequately? At regular intervals at the same dosage?" the gruff man asked.

"Of course,"the second man said. "We wouldn't want him knowing more than we tell him." Ulrich felt the dead air of someone standing right in front of him, and it took all his will power not to open his eyes a sliver to see if it was Saul. This could be a trap. There was only one way to find out.

Faking a moan of pain, which wasn't really hard when he let the built up pain to the forefront of his mind, Ulrich cracked his eyes open. Pretending to wince at the slight light, he closed his eyes again. He opened them again.

"Saul," he whispered, feigning shock. "What are you doing here?"

"We just want to ask you some questions, brother. Nothing else," Saul said icily. He gestured behind him and Ulrich saw the owner of the gruff voice. He pulled back slightly, and the fire of his bonds bit into his wrists. Hissing in pain, Ulrich eased forward again.

"Why are you serving him?" Ulrich hissed. "He destroyed our city."

Saul shrugged, but Ulrich read plainly in his eyes, 'Don't blow this.' Out loud, Saul hissed back, "His pay is good, and he promised to raise the city again, better than before."

"Lies!" Ulrich shouted, not caring what the Destroyer thought. Let them think he forgot how to be a warrior during his stay on Earth. "He can't recreate the city, he can't make it better! Its gone for good, it and all its people! How can you believe him?"

"Shut him up," the Destroyer said. Instantly, Saul slapped Ulrich across the face. Ulrich went limp, like Saul hit him too hard.

"Put him back on the drugs," the Destroyer said, turning to leave. "We'll question him later, when he's calmed."

"Yes, sire," Saul muttered, head bowed as the Destroyer left the cave. Saul waited until he was sure his master was gone before turning back to Ulrich. "What the hell was that?"

Ulrich pulled himself up, wincing when the fire bonds brushed against his wrists. "I don't care for your tricks, Saul," Ulrich hissed.

"Play along, Ulrich,"Saul whispered. "He knows there are more survivors than us. He thinks you've been helping them establish new lives on other worlds, and he won't believe you when you say you aren't."

"I haven't been back here since I left the first time," Ulrich hissed, furious at this scam. "I haven't been in contact with any of the survivors since our home was destroyed."

"He won't believe you," Saul yelled. A silence rang in the room between them. Saul took a deep breath and continued, "The only way we're both going to get out of here is if you lie and say you did. He'll want you to show him where they are, and you'll have a good chance of escaping on one of the worlds."

"And he'll send Cole right out after me again," Ulrich said. "Thank you, no. I'll get myself out."

"And how the hell do you intend to do that?" Saul snapped. "You're supposed to be drugged, and I'll be killed because I'm supposed to keep and eye on you."

"You should have thought of that before you signed on with him," Ulrich said impatienlty, struggling against his bonds. "Maybe you should have consulted me first."

"You're a stubborn, impatient child!" Saul yelled. "You don't understand how it is anymore!"

"You think that's my problem!" Ulrich hollered back. "I'm not the one who betrayed their people, Saul."

"Neither did I!" Saul roared.

"Then who did?" Ulrich asked, suddenly confused. "You're the only one who wasn't there when it happened."

"I don't know," Saul said, shaking his head, "but it wasn't me. I was with Cole, trying to figure out how he lost all touch with the Codex Gems when we were attacked."

Ulrich opened his mouth, about to argue back, but then closed it. Codex Gems were hard to master, but, once mastered, they would stick with you forever. That is, unless you performed one of the Forbidden Deeds.

"That son of a bitch," Ulrich whispered, looking into Saul's face. "Cole betrayed us."

"Impossible." Saul shook his head in disbelief. "Cole would never do that. He was a warrior, the protector. He wouldn't do that."

"Why else would the Codex Gems abadon him?" Ulrich snapped. "They usually don't, not without cause. Betraying your people is the worst thing you can do, the only Forbidden Deed that takes full punishment, regardless of reasons. Cole betrayed us."

"I can't believe it," Saul whispered. "He'd never do that."

Saul stood there in silence and watched Ulrich hang. Ulrich twitched, knowing he had to escape. The Codex Gems came to him to warn him the betrayer was coming, that much was clear. However, there could be many more meanings, and Ulrich was almost sure of another meaning.

"Let me go," Ulrich whispered. "The Destroyer must suspect I'm strong enough to world jump with two people or else he wouldn't suspect me. You could say I'm strong enough to world jump form fire bonds."

"And set you up for defeat when he catches you again?" Saul questioned. "I don't think so. Besides, him and Cole will be suspicious because you didn't world jump out of the Sangre Col."

"Its a risk I'm willing to take," Ulrich said, turning his attention to the far wall. "I need to get out of here, Saul. I need your help."

"It's too dangerous," Saul repeated, walking away from Ulrich. "The Destroyer will kill me if you escape."

"Saul, don't," Ulrich said, seeing he was about to leave. "I need to get out of here. I need to find somebody."

"Who, Ulrich?" Saul said, stopping in the entrance way. "There's nobody left. The Destroyer finished off all the mentors looking for you."

"I need to find the sender of the Codex Gems," Ulrich said, watching Saul's face for reaction. All he saw was genuine shock.

"What Codex Gems?" Saul asked, moving back towards Ulrich.

"Somebody had sent me two Codex Gems the day before Cole attacked me," Ulrich continued, still staring at Saul. "I need to find out who sent them and why."

"They're probably dead by now, Ulrich," Saul sighed, heading back to the entrance. "I'll be back in a minute with the drug. I'm sorry I have to do this to you."

Ulrich ignored him, watching the wall over the entranceway. He had five, maybe six seconds to find a way out of this mess, but only one thing was coming to mind, and it was almost impossible. Still, it was worth a try. Closing his eyes, Ulrich concentrated on the entranceway, trying to remember every detail. He imagined a brisk wind swirling around him, getting between his wrists and the fire bonds and growing stronger as time passed. Instantly, he felt a brief second of vaccuum before the pressure was gone and his arms felt really funny. Looking up, he saw his arms held by nothing. He let them fall while looking around. Ulrich had succeeded. Instead of dangleing by fire bonds, Ulrich was standing in the entranceway to his prison. Hearing Saul return, Ulrich repeated the procedure, this time with a different place entirely in his mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Maybe its some kind of secret government project?" Odd asked from his spot on Yumi's floor.

"Don't be ridiculous, Odd," Jeremie scoffed, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Well, what about an alien invasion?" Odd continued.

"Odd, please stop," Aelita said, resting her hand on Jeremie's shoulder. "I don't think any of those are the answers."

"Well, how else can you explain some of the weird words he spoke?" Odd questioned, jumping up and walking to the window. "I mean, Veron Schal and Halstaph aren't even in the dictionary."

"Maybe we should look into Ulrich's past," Yumi suggested from her spot on the bed. "I mean, maybe they're words from his childhood."

"Good idea," Aelita said, smiling at her friend. "When did Ulrich first come to Kadic?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ulrich opened his eyes to bright sunlight streaming through a canopy of green leaves. Moaning slightly, he sat up, rubbing his wrists. His last two jumps drained him, and he had paid the price. As soon as he landed, he had fallen to the ground, exhausted. Now he was awake, but he had no idea of how long he had been out. It could have been hours or days, or even months, for all he knew.

Getting on his feet, Ulrich cast a weary eye at the surrounding forest. He was almost sure he was alone, but he didn't want to take any chances. Casting one look behind him, Ulrich slipped his hand into his pocket. Eyes opening wide in surprise, he pulled out the blue Gem. He still had it with him. Slipping it back where it belonged, Ulrich turned and started walking towards the dirt path he could see in the distance.

Stepping on it, he started sprinting down the remains of it, dodging weeds and saplings. Give it another couple of years and there wouldn't be a path at all. Ulrich shook his head, remembering a time when the path was tediously tended by the criminals. Now, however, there were no more criminals, no more citizens.

Ulrich was back at Veron Schal, the world of his birth.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though. **

* * *

_There was fire, fire everywhere. Somewhere in the distance a child cried. The Teacher reentered the building, closing the door firmly behind him._

_"We need to get out of here," he said, gesturing to the back of the building. "This world isn't safe anymore. We must go to the Otherworlds." People began gathering their few objects and heading towards the stairs._

_"There's no such things as the Otherworlds," a young, female voice scoffed. Everybody in the room stiffened and moved away from the speaker. The girl appeared no more than sixteen. Her hair was dyed in the latest style of sapphire, and her eyes were like black coals. The Teacher turned to face her._

_"Now is not the time to be a Keltan, Mya," he said, catching the girl's black eyes in his pale green ones. "Now is the time to set aside the ignorant beliefs of your cult and accept what you see as irrational is truth."_

_Mya stared awhile longer, but turned away. "I won't," she said. "Our home is under attack, and yet you insist on spreading your irrational lies as your people have done for millenia. There is no escape. Everybody in this room is going to die when the rioters come to this building, and yet you believe him!"_

_Nobody moved. Parents pulled their children out of Mya's sight, older people shook their heads in disgust, and people Mya's age hung their heads in shame._

_"Mya," the Teacher said gently, "forgive me, I seem to have forgotten. How old are you?"_

_Mya hesitated, sensing a trap. She knew the Teacher had not forgotten her age, but she could see no plausible excuse to withhold the information. "I had just turned 98 yesterday," she whispered._

_"And yet you claim to hold the wisdom that our Elders have been lying for millenia?" the Teacher asked, voice light._

_"There wasn't a First Walker," she whispered, knowing nothing she said would make a difference._

_"Yes, there was," the Teacher said, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "There was a First Walker, and he was born again within the last century. He will restore our world. He and the First Warrior will return our people to our homes, but they must have people to restore. We must flee."_

_The people began gathering their stuff again, moving quickly down the stairs. Mya stood there, dejected, as person after person ignored her. After the last person went down, the Teacher walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders._

_"Come with us," he whispered. "Even the unbelievers deserve a second chance."_

_Mya shook her head and opened her mouth to argue when a loud thud echoed through the room._

_"Teacher!" Two children skidded into the room, covered in soot and burns. "Saul is nowhere to be found. He's vanished," the boy cried out._

_"Get out of here," the Teacher said, not looking away from Mya. "Saul will turn up." The boy looked ready to argue, but the girl grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the rear stairs. They hopped down them and vanished into the back room. The Teacher withdrew his attention from Mya and started heading for the stairs. Mya hesitated, about to follow, when a loud thud shook the whole building. The Teacher turned and watched as each consecutive thud shook the door. Shoving Mya behind him, he yelled, "Run!"_

_Mya hesitated, but turned and ran down the stairs. Turning one last time, she saw the door fly open, revealing a shadow darker than the darkest night._

Ulrich shot straight up, breathing heavily in the early morning dust. He had heard something, a distant thud, almost as if somebody had closed a heavy door. Rubbing dust out of his eyes, he concentrated on his surroundings, trying to remember where he was. In the distance, the thud echoed again. More dust fell from the rafters of the stable he had found to sleep in.

'I'm back home,' he thought, raising to his feet. 'I'm back to where this all started.' He remembered wandering up the path and into the town. By the time he had arrived, night had started to fall. So he found a place to stay. Brushing hay and soot from his clothing, Ulrich walked to the entrance. Looking outside, he saw the rich blue skies of summer. There was nobody to be seen anywhere. Ulrich reached into his pocket and felt the Gem. It grew warm under his fingers and he pulled it out.

There was no image, no flair of illusion, just a soft, somber voice. "Ulrich," it whispered. Ulrich frowned in concentration. He knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't remember. "Help me."

Ulrich turned the stone in his hands. It seemed like it always had. It seemed like all the Gems he handled in the past, but this was different. This was the first Gem he's seen in awhile.

"What are your secrets?" he whispered, holding it up to eye level. "Once I could have read your secrets, but not anymore."

He lowered the stone back to his side as another thud filled the air, this time closer. Frowning, Ulrich looked into the forest. The remains of the old trees stood, as gnarled as an old man's hands. The newer growth looked out of place. What really looked out of place, though, was the burnt orange speck peeking out between two leaves on one of the bushes. Carefully, Ulrich slipped the stone back into his pocket and headed back into the stable. He kept walking, right to the back, where the old boards had fallen loose, leaving some nice sized gaps. Tossing a glance behind him, Ulrich carefully lifted himself through a gap.

The back of the stable opened onto the town, or what was left of it. Ulrich stopped, staring at the charred remains of his home. He remembered playing tag in the streets, dodging horses and carts. His mother used to drag him and Saul down this very street on various errands. Hearing the thud again, Ulrich was jerked back to reality and started running down the streets, looking for someplace to take cover.

Ulrich skidded to a stop in front of an old shell of a building not far from the center of the town. The front was almost completely burned off, leaving no place to hide, but Ulrich couldn't resist looking at it. This was the last place he had been on Veron Schal, the old Worship House. He remembered the old teacher standing there, talking to an older girl, when he had run in. It was from this house's basement that he had fled his home.

Hesitantly, he walked towards the charred remains. He was close enough to enter when he heard a faint thud and some slight cursing. Jerking back to reality, Ulrich hid in a nearby alley, intent on finding out who else was in Veron Schal.

He blended deeper into the shadows, listening for a sign that his pursuer was still comig. At first he heard nothing, but that quickly turned into a slight shuffle and a steady pounding. Ulrich tensed as a shadow started sliding past. He fought the impulse to jump out and attack the person, at least, not until he's seen the person's face. Even then, though, he knew he shouldn't attack. The less attention he drew to himself, the better.

The shuffling moved closer, and Ulrich buried himself deeper in the shadows. If he hadn't let his abilities drift into disuse, he would have been able to blend in completely. Unfortunately, he had to make do with the "hiding in plain sight" concept.

The shuffler stopped just before the alley. Ulrich felt his muscles tense. Either his follower knew he was there, or they were taking a moment to examine the paths. He was sincerly hoping it was the second option. The shuffling started again. Ulrich watched at the burnt orange came into his vision. It was a skirt, old and torn. The skirt was on a person Ulrich knew, but he resisted stepping out to talk to her. Instead, he watched as she shuffled past his hiding space.

When she had gone on, Ulrich sneaked out behind her. She was a good block ahead of him, wandering right down the center of town. Ulrich followed. She could give him answeres he did not have. She could tell him what had happened after he fled. However, she could also be a servant of the Destroyer, and the only way to be sure if she could be trusted was to question her on his terms.

Ulrich followed her as she reached the end of town and turned right. Ulrich stopped. The path she had turned down was the one that led to his house, long ago. The path was mostly tended, it was definitly in better shape than the forest path. She vanished around the bend, and Ulrich took off after her. While it might bring back sour memories, Ulrich couldn't lose her.

He followed her up the path, repressing memories that wanted to surge forward. He couldn't let them take hold, not now. Instead, Ulrich concentrated on the way she walked. If he studied her long enough, he might be able to tell whether she was under the Destroyer's control or not. Ulrich was so intent on studying her, though, that he almost walked into her when she stopped at another, smaller path that led up to a small cabin. Ulrich back off, keeping a wary eye out for a trap. None came. Instead, she opened the gate and walked up to the home.

For surviving a war, the house was in good shape. It still had four walls and a roof. The front door was hanging by its hinges, but it could be used to block entrance. Windows were blown out, and there were some very obvious signs of structural damage, but it was still standing. Ulrich couldn't help but remember running out of that door, pulling his best friend with him. They had pounded down the path. When they had rounded the bend, he could have sworn he had heard his home go up in an explosion. Apparently, he was wrong.

She walked up to the open door and went in. She must have thought he went in there because she shortly came out again and looked around, a look of confusion on her face. She shrugged and went back in. Ulrich moved up to the fence. Forgetting the time table of his home, he was temporarily blinded by one of the setting suns. Blinking it away, he ducked into the yard, letting the house block the sun. Noone was in the door, so he headed up and ducked into the front room. Right where it had been when he left was the old couch. Laying across it was Mya, and she was sound asleep.

Mindful of the creaky floor, Ulrich snuck up to where Mya lay. Carefully, he knelt down beside her. He could wake her and question her, but he had no way to make sure she cooperated. He hadn't used his abilities in years, and he had nothing to threaten her with. All he had was his hands and the Codex Gem...

The Gem! He had almost forgotten, it had been so long. Gems could be used to trap people's consciousness, and blue Gems were notorious for forcing people to tell the truth. You just had to know how to control them. Ulrich may not remember everything about the Gems anymore, but he did know the basics, and Mya should remember how adept he was back when. Ulrich reached into his pocket and pulled it out. It sat in his hand as if it belonged. With his other hand he covered Mya's mouth.

She awoke with a start, her black eyes opening wide when she saw Ulrich.

"Hush," he said. Slowly, he rose his hand and showed her the Codex Gem. Her eyes opened wider. "You remember what this is?" he asked. Mya didn't respond. "Of course you remember what this is. You've seen me with them before. You remember how I controlled them at a young age." Ulrich waited, watching as the implications of his words sunk in.

"I'm going to remove my hand now," he told her, keeping his voice low, "and I'm going to ask you a few questions." Slowly, he took his hand off her mouth.

"I thought you dead," she whispered. "I thought It destroyed you with the rest of the Worshippers."

Ulrich waited. Apparently, she wasn't working for the Destroyer. Carefully, Mya sat up.

"Why have you come?" she said, tugging at the hem of her shirt. "There's nothing left here. Everything's gone."

"And yet you're still here," Ulrich said drily. He grabbed one of Mya's hands. "Why were you following me?"

"To make sure I wasn't seeing things," she said, still tugging at her hem. "Halstaph said you would come again."

"Halstaph never talked about me," Ulrich said, pulling back. "Halstaph always saw me as a disappoinment."

"Not when he was dying," Mya protested. "When he was dying, he was begging me to find you and make sure you were alive. He begged me to hunt for you and keep you safe."

"Why me?" Ulrich asked, leaning against the wall.

"I don't know," Mya said, shaking her head, "but he never spoke of his reasons."

Ulrich stared at the wall behind Mya, trying to process what she had said. Shadows began to dance along the wall as the second sun began to set. In the distance was a loud thud, and the vibrations from it shook the house. Mya looked at Ulrich, wide eyed with fear, and said, "They're coming."


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Code Lyoko or any other already invented characters that work their way into my story. I do own new characters, though.**

**Glossary, since I know some of you are probably a bit confused with some of the terms:**

**Veron Schal: Another world, and Ulrich's birthplace**

**Halstaph: A teacher and religious leader**

**Sangre Col: A black goo used by the San Til-We to capture their targets alive. It sucks the energy out of anyone it touches.**

**San Til-We: An elite group of bounty hunters.**

**Tilwa: Another world, where the San Til-We train.**

**Codex Gems: A naturally occuring mineral in Veron Schal. Each Gem has different properties that make it unique.**

**Orange: Tracking**

**Blue: Forces people to tell the truth**

* * *

_"_Who?" Ulrich asked. Mya closed her eyes tightly. Ulrich gently placed one hand on her knee, but pulled back when he felt her shake. "Mya, who is coming?'

"The monsters, the demons," she muttered, ringing her skirt in her hands. "The horrors left to rule this world now that all are gone."

Ulrich stood up and walked to the door. The second sun was now setting, and Ulrich had to squint to see through the glare. The thudding was moving, and Ulrich could see the distant trees falling as the "horrors" moved. Pulling the door tightly shut behind him, Ulrich returned to Mya still sat on the couch, ringing her skirt like crazy.

"Mya, look at me," Ulrich said, kneeling down in front of her. "Where is it safe from them? How have you survived until now?"

Mya started rocking back and forth, drawing her knees up to her chest to make herself smaller. Ulrich sighed. He knew she wasn't going to give him any answers. Instead, he returned to the door and, pulling it open again, stared out at the falling trees. They were still quite a distance away. He watched them for a few seconds, carefully evaluating the distance they covered in relationship to the rising of the second moon.

"Mya," Ulrich said, not turning to look at her, "do they come every night?"

He waited, listening in case she whispered her answer. The thuds kept ringing, coming closer with each passing second.

"No." The whisper was so quiet that Ulrich wasn't sure he heard it at first. Turning away from the sight out the door, he looked at Mya. She was still curled into a ball, but she was shaking her head, eyes glued to Ulrich.

"How have you escaped?"

"By staying ahead of them." Again, the whisper was so silent, but Ulrich had seen her mouth move, so he knew she had spoken.

Ulrich turned to the door again, chewing his bottom lip as he thought through their situation. Squinting in the glare as the third and last sun set and the third, and brightest, moon rose, he tried to find the enemy again. His heart sank. They were moving much faster than he remembered, and Ulrich's and Mya's time was beginning to run out.

"Mya, have you tried fighting them?"

"Are you insane?" Ulrich ignored her outburst, still staring in the distance. He waited for her to continue. "Those creatures are spawn of the Destroyer. Nobody can fight them and get away alive. They're the things that destroyed this village and every other village in this world."

"Then we'll have to run for it," Ulrich muttered. Louder, he said, "They must sleep sometime. Or have you managed to stay awake constantly since the attacks ended."

"They sleep from the Morning Sun until the Night Star," Mya said. Ulrich tapped his fingers against the doorframe. He frowned, very aware of the lack of options available to him and Mya.

"How much energy do you have?"

"Enough to last until the Morning Sun," Mya said, standing up. Ulrich turned to look at her. In his opinion, she didn't look awake enough to last until the last moon set, and that was quite a bit of time before the Morning Star made an appearance. Turning back to door, he deliberated carefully.

"This is what we're going to do," Ulrich said, still staring at distant creatures.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This makes absolutely no sense," Jeremie exclaimed, staring at his computer screen in confusion. Aelita, Odd, and Yumi looked up from their study of Ulrich's diary on the floor. "I typed in _Consure Detrope _and my computer went haywire."

"How can that be?" Aelita said, getting up from her spot and going to look over Jeremie's shoulder.

"I don't know," Jeremie said, shaking his head. Yumi got up and went to look over Jeremie's other shoulder. "I just typed it, then I hit enter, and my computer just went berserk."

"Do you think it could be a coincidence?" Odd asked. He hadn't moved. Turning his attention back to Ulrich's diary, he flipped a few pages, then started skimming again.

"Odd, how can you still possibly believe in coincidences when technology is involved!" Jeremie said. "Didn't our adventures in Lyoko teach you anything?"

"Yea, well, that was Xana," Odd said. He flipped another page and ran his finger down the lines. "Maybe coincidences can happen again."

"Odd, what's wrong?" Aelita said, moving from her spot behing Jeremie to her spot next to Odd.

"Nothing's wrong," Odd said, flipping to another page and repeating the motion. "What makes you think somethings wrong?"

"Because you're actually working," Yumi said, joining Aelita. "And you haven't asked us to stop for a snack or anything."

"Well, maybe I'm not hungry," Odd said, flipping another page over. This time he brought the diary up to his face and began reading it.

"Odd, don't lie to us," Jeremie said, setting his computer aside. "In fact, ever since I've met you, I don't remember you missing a meal without some type of fight."

"Well, maybe I've changed," Odd said as he pulled the diary closer to his nose.

"Since yesterday?" Jeremie asked incredulous.

"Jeremie, let's give him a break," Yumi said, putting an arm around Odd's shoulder. She and Aelita exchanged a look.

"But..."

"Jeremie, can I talk to you in the hall," Aelita said. "Now." She turned and went into the hall. Slowly, Jeremie followed.

"What?" he said as he closed the door behind him.

"Don't push it," Aelita said, facing Jeremie with her arms folded over her chest.

"Don't push what?"

"Just let Odd be," Aelita elaborated. "Isn't it obvious what his problem is?"

"Not really..."

"He lost his best friend!" Aelita threw her arms in the air in exasperation. "Ulrich just upped and left with no word to anyone! Odd's taking it hardest because they lived together and he didn't see it coming. He doesn't want to talk about it now, and he's throwing himself into his work in hopes that it will help us find Ulrich."

"Ulrich's one of my best friends as well," Jeremie pointed out. "I should have realized all his long walks went something."

"And I should have said something when we were walking to class that morning and I realized he wasn't worried about it at all," Aelita pointed out. "But I didn't, and there's nothing you or I or Odd could have done to stop Ulrich even if we knew, but Odd doesn't understand that right now."

Jeremie stood there with his mouth open while Aelita folded her arms again. Realizing what he must have looked like, he closed his mouth, then opened it again as if to say something.

"Aelita, Jeremie!" Odd's voice rang out from the room. "You might want to see this."

Jeremie threw Aelita a worried glance and turned to go through the door. Aelita was right on his heels.

"What is it?" Jeremie asked. He half expected some creature lurking in the corner, or a specter slithering out of a wall socket. Instead, Yumi and Odd were huddled over Ulrich's diary, their faces mirror images of shock.

"What's going on?" Jeremie asked again, moving to his laptop and picking it up. The screen had returned to normal, but he didn't try typing Consure Detrope in again.

"We found something that might be about his past," Yumi said when Odd wouldn't speak. "Until this point, he was ridiculously careful about keeping his past life out of his writings, but either he slipped up here, or this is bigger than this entry suggests."

"This is crazy," Aelita said. While Jeremie had gone to the bed, Aelita had shuffled throught the photocopies they had made to the entry Yumi and Odd were talking about.

"Let me see," Jeremie said, reaching out for the page Aelita was holding. Slowly, she reached out and gave it to Jeremie.

"Wow."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Keep running, don't stop now," Ulrich yelled. Ahead of him, Mya stumbled and almost fell into a bush. Sliding to a halt, Ulrich reached down and pulled her up.

"I'm sorry," she panted. "I'm too tired to run anymore." Ulrich gritted his teeth and looked behind them. The thuds had been reduced to mere echoes during their journey, but they were gradually getting louder each second.

"Mya, have you ever seen this creatures?" Ulrich asked. He hated the idea of running from something he's never seen before, but they had destroyed his home, so they must have some power.

"Only on the night they attacked," Mya gasped. Ulrich chewed his lower lip.

"Run," he said, pushing Mya in the direction they had been heading. "I have more energy than you. I'll distract them."

"Ulrich..."

"Go." Ulrich turned away from her. As he stared in the direction of the thuds, he wished he had his saber. "I'll meet up with you in Scernath." Mya hesitated, gravitating towards the distant towns but hovering around Ulrich. He was about to tell her to run again, but she surprised him by swooping in and kissing him on the cheek.

"Be careful," Mya whispered. Then, picking up her skirt, she fled into the forest.

Ulrich stood there in a daze for a moment. He only moved when the distant thuds became loud enough to shake the ground. Quickly, Ulrich looked around him for something to help draw the horrors toward him and away from Mya. Lying to his right was the remains of one of the warriors who had fought to protect the world. Sticking in the ground was a rusty sword. Rushing over to it, he pulled it from the ground and examined it. The edge was still relatively sharp; he drew blood when he tested. Accepting that this was the best he would get, but marvelling at his luck, he returned to his spot on the trail.

"Bring it," he whispered as the trees in front of him began to fall.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko. All new characters are mine.**

**A/N: If you had followed this story before my unplanned hiatus, welcome back. I'm sorry for the long gap (almost a year) but I was letting the pressure of consistently updating this story and my other Code: Lyoko story get to me. I'm back now, and I can promise an attempt to update at least once a month. But this isn't my only story, so I can't devote my entire attentions to this. Plus, I have school work that I need to focus on. Thank you for you patience.**

**If you've just started reading, welcome. I hope you enjoy what you've read and what you're about to read. Reviews are always welcome.**

**

* * *

**

_Xana's just another breed of Destroyer, and one I will help stop this time. I won't leave my friends to face him alone, like I did last time. I should have fought those Nazis, I should have help end that war, but I had overspent my stay. Hopefully, this time, the war ends before it's too dangerous for me to stay, and I might actually be able to do some good._

Jeremie looked at Aelita, eyes wide. Ulrich was talking about WWII, sixty years prior to the diary entry. Grabbing his computer, Jeremie began a massive search of Ally soldiers' disappearances. Yumi, Aelita and Odd started pouring through the diary again.

"This is incredible," Jeremie said. He was typing furiously at his keyboard, barely stopping when Yumi pointed out another slip up in Ulrich's diary. "I'm finding pictures and accounts of somebody that looks exactly like Ulrich from 60 years ago."

"If Ulrich's diary is true, it shouldn't be a surprise," Aelita pointed out, looking up from her reading.

"That's not the incredible part," Jeremie said. He looked up and scanned his friends where they sat. "It's what happened to him. The last people saw of him, he was shipping out to join the army. He never made it to camp. He had definitely gotten on the boat. People saw him, his paperwork was approved, everything. He ate dinner with a bunch of others, and then went to bed early. But he never came out the next morning, and nobody has seen him since."

"That sounds like what's happening now," Odd pointed out. "Go on like nothing's happening, then mysteriously vanish while people think you're doing something else."

"What else is there about this guy?" Aelita asked. She stood up and moved to a spot next to Jeremie.

"There are some medical records," Jeremie said. "Apparently, his friends thought he was losing his mind because he talked when he slept, so they made him see a doctor."

"That definitely sounds like Ulrich," Odd said. He stood and stretched. "What was that guy's name?"

"His medical records say 'Ulrich Krihn.'" Jeremie looked up just in time to see Yumi, Aelita, and Odd exchange glances. "What?"

"We thought it was nothing," Aelita said, rummaging through the piles of previously read diary pages, "just something to do with his parents or something."

"What are you talking about?" Aelita pulled a copy of a very early diary entry out and handed it to Jeremie.

"Look for yourself."

_Ulrich Krihn, now Ulrich Stern. I should just change my first name as well and be done with it. I hate changing my name, but I have no control over that, not right now._

"Are you sure it's not just something to do with his parents? It sounds like he's talking about his mom remarrying or something."

"Jeremie, wake up!" Odd yelled. "You have pictures of a guy named Ulrich Krihn that look exactly like Ulrich Stern, a direct reference to WWII in Ulrich's diary, and you're still wondering if the Ulrich in the pictures is the Ulrich we know?"

Jeremie looked at Odd in shock. Never before had Odd gotten so worked up over something, even when Xana was threatening everything. Jeremie turned back to the computer.

"I think we need Kadic's old school records," Jeremie finally muttered. "Maybe that will help us figure out who Ulrich actually is."

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Ulrich bounced on his toes, waiting for whatever was coming his way to make an appearance, hands clenched on the grip. The crashes were really close; he could see movement in the trees now.

"Come on," Ulrich muttered, "show yourselves." With a final crash, the trees in front of Ulrich fell, revealing the most horrendous, nightmarish creatures in the worlds. Ulrich hesitated for a second before charging at the nearest creatures legs. Slashing at its legs, he managed to hit a main tendon before the creatures even noticed he was there. The first creature started falling, and Ulrich darted back, resetting himself for the next attack.

The other creatures stopped and roared. The combined sound sent shivers down Ulrich's spine, but he held strong. These were the creatures that had destroyed his home and ruined his life; he wasn't going to let them finish what they started. Darting toward them again, Ulrich slashed the throat of the one he had crippled before running back the way they came from.

Ulrich kept running, hoping they would follow him and not decide to go back after Mya. Sure enough, there was a roar and a collection of trees falling. Glancing over his shoulder, Ulrich saw the trees moving as the creatures chased him. He slowed down enough for the creatures to catch up, but as soon as the creatures could see him, Ulrich darted left. The best warriors of Veron Schal couldn't keep the monsters from destroying the world. There was no chance a child like him could hope to perform much better. All he needed to do was distract them until the Morning Sun rose.

A crashing to Ulrich's right warned him seconds before an arrow came flying out of the brush. Ulrich ducked, then turned to face this new threat. Cole stepped out of the underbrush, a glare on his normally calm face. He whistled and silence fell; the creatures had stopped advancing.

"Why?" Ulrich asked before Cole could say anything. All the questions that had built up since Ulrich put together the truth started bubbling up, waiting to be asked. "How could you betray us to the Destroyer? Have you no honor?"

"Save your childish babble, Ulrich." Cole started advancing, and Ulrich readjusted his guard. He wasn't going to be captured this time, the Destroyer wouldn't allow a chance of escape again. Cole laughed.

"You can't defeat me, child." Cole started advancing, but Ulrich held his ground. He refused to show fear. "You won't defeat me, just like you can't, won't, escape the Destroyer. His power's everywhere. Bow to your master!" With that, Cole shot a pellet of Sangre Col at Ulrich. Ulrich ducked, but it was a near miss. He felt the wind of the pellet ruffle his hair.

When he stood up, Cole was inches from him, sword drawn for the attack. Ulrich's instincts kicked in, and he raised his blade with barely enough time to block Cole's.

"You think you were so special, being Halstaph's favorite pupil," Cole hissed. He slowly put pressure on his sword, driving the edges close to Ulrich's throat. "He ignored the rest of us, focusing on you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ulrich grunted. He was using all his strength to keep the rusty blade from clipping his cartoid. "Halstaph treated all of us the same. Everyone was equal, as he taught."

Cole laughed. It wasn't just any laugh, either, it was long, and filled with hatred. Ulrich used this second of distraction to kick Cole's legs out from under him and get out of the sword lock.

"You were blind then, you're blind now," Cole spat as he regained balance. "Those teachings were nothing but lies spread by the Destroyer millenniums ago to pave the way for an easy domination." Ulrich ignored Cole's words, instead looking somewhere vaguely over Cole's shoulder to the horizon, looking for some sign of the Morning Sun. When the Morning Sun rose, Ulrich wouldn't have to worry about Cole calling the monsters to attack.

"Well, Ulrich, I guess this is goodbye." Ulrich turned his complete attention back to Cole just as Cole started whistling. The monsters started moving again.

"Shit!" Ulrich yelled. Taking advantage of the monsters temporary lag, he darted between them and started running back towards Mya. The crashing of the monsters was faster than Ulrich remembered, and he turned to see the creatures moving a lot faster than earlier.

"Damn it, Cole!" he muttered, running even faster. His legs started burning from the strain, his lungs felt like they were going to burst, and his heart was dancing the samba against his ribs. Ulrich was waiting for the inevitable death that was coming his way, but the noises started getting softer. Daring a glance behind him, Ulrich could barely see the movement of any trees that marked the creatures passage. Ulrich stopped. The creatures were definitely still moving, he could feel it in the ground, but Ulrich couldn't understand how they were so far back. He wasn't that fast, it wasn't like he was on Lyoko.

Ulrich shook his head in confusion and started heading towards Scernath. If the creatures caught up with him now, he could always lead them past De'colar, the massive waterfall that claimed many lives of the careless. Ulrich didn't have to worry, though. The Morning Sun rose as Ulrich was crossing the River Cern, and the distant thuds of falling trees fell silent. Ulrich didn't slow down, though. Cole was still out there, and he wasn't stop by something as simple as nature.

Ulrich finally reached Scernath, but he didn't wait to see if Mya was there. Entering the nearest shelter he could fine, he collapsed. Everything that had happened the past few days had finally caught up with him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am giving up on making promises on when I'll upload. If you're still reading, I am really sorry for not uploading or making a note sooner. I promise I am still working on this story. I just ask for patience between uploads.

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Ulrich jumped as a cool hand brushed across his face. At first, he thought Cole caught up to him and was ensnaring him once again in Sangre Col. But, as Ulrich opened his eyes, he recognized Mya leaning over him.

"Are you ok?" he asked, trying to sit up. Mya didn't help him, and Ulrich let himself slump back down. All his muscles were sore, even muscles Ulrich didn't know existed. Mya shook her head at his state before leaning back and pulling out a bucket of water. She ripped a segment of her skirt off, dipped it in the water, and wiped it across Ulrich's face. Ulrich closed his eyes. They had to keep moving, it was the only way to keep from being detected by either Cole or those creatures, but he needed some rest.

When Ulrich opened his eyes again, the light was fading from the room and Mya was nowhere to be seen. Carefully, Ulrich sat up. The bucket was still beside him, and the burnt orange piece of skirt was still sitting in it. Outside of that, there was no evidence Mya had even been in the room. Concerned, Ulrich pulled himself to his feet, wincing as each movement revealed a still sore muscle. He took another look around the room, but there were no signs of Mya anywhere.

"Mya?" Ulrich walked to the window and glanced outside. She wasn't there, so Ulrich headed to the other rooms. He walked through the entire building, but Mya was nowhere to be found. Ulrich started chewing his lip. If he could not find Mya by dark, he would have to leave her. Ulrich could not waste time looking for somebody who could get him killed. Ulrich walked to the back of the shelter and looked out a window, partly to see if Mya was there, and partly to plan his escape. In the open area between the shelter and the nearest building was Mya, huddled on the ground.

"What the hell?" Ulrich hurried to the door and limped his way back to where Mya was. She was just laying there, curled up like she could be sleeping, but Ulrich knew better. Since returning to Veron Schal, skills and abilities Ulrich had given up to remain safe had started to return. He knew before he even got to Mya's side that it was pointless.

Gingerly, Ulrich knelt by Mya's side and bowed his head. She was not dead because of Cole, if that had been the case, Ulrich would have never found her body. In fact, as far as Ulrich could tell, there were no physical signs anywhere on her body that could have caused her death. Ulrich wished he had time to bury her properly, but he heard distant thuds that indicated the creatures were back on patrol. Once again, Ulrich pulled himself to his feet and headed deeper into Scernath. The world of Veron Schal had grown too dangerous; if possible, Ulrich had to leave it tonight. But he was still too weak to attempt a world jump; the only way a successful world jump was to be accomplished was to find the Worship house and use the power stored in the basement.

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"His Kadic records are perfectly in order; there is nothing out of place." Jeremie typed a few more seconds before pushing his computer away in disgust. "To be perfectly honest, if we had stumbled across this when Ulrich was still here, we could have easily classified World War II Ulrich and current Ulrich as a complete coincidence."

Aelita looked up from the pile of photocopies she had scattered on the desk in front of her. Odd was staring off into space, completely oblivious of Jeremie's outburst and wracking his brain to remember any more peculiar nighttime utterances of Ulrich's. Yumi was somewhere else, looking for information. The gang had moved from Yumi's bedroom to the library because Yumi's parents and brother were getting too nosey, but the change of locale was not offering any inspiration.

"Maybe we had better call it a night, then," Aelita said. "I'm not finding anything new in this pile of stuff, I doubt Odd is having any success, and, as far as I can tell, Yumi hasn't found anything that could possibly help us." Odd's head snapped around to Aelita as she finished speaking.

"We can't give up! We have to find out what happened to Ulrich!"

"She's not suggesting we give up completely, Odd," Jeremie said. He had started packing up his computer as soon as Aelita mentioned calling it a night. "We have been working on this for too long without a break. It might be a good idea to go back to school and not think of it tonight. Maybe tomorrow we'll find something we completely overlooked."

Odd slumped in his seat, and Jeremie and Aelita exchanged glances. As each day went by without a further to clue to what happened to Ulrich, Odd became much more dejected. There was nothing they could do, though. Not even food, or the idea of food, seemed to cheer Odd up right now.

"I'll go find Yumi and let her know our decision," Aelita said. She gave Jeremie a look that clearly said, "Talk to him," before vanishing into the depths of the library. Jeremie gave a bewildered look to Aelita's retreating back, but turned his attention to Odd.

"Moping over what happened isn't going to change what happened, Odd." Jeremie gathered the photocopies Aelita left on the desk and tucked them into his bag. "And working ourselves to the bone is most definitely not going to help Ulrich."

"You worked to the bone when you were trying to bring Aelita to our world," Odd pointed out, and Jeremie winced. It was true that he had worked himself tirelessly to bring Aelita out of Lyoko, but, as far as Jeremie was concerned, those were two different matters.

"Once we get a better clue, we can work ourselves tirelessly to find Ulrich." Jeremie couldn't say the matters were different to Odd; it would just cause more issues. "Part of our problem in finding Ulrich is we've been looking at the same material for too long. Everything's probably starting to look the same, and we can find anything else to help find him if we can't distinguish what we're reading." Odd just shoved his notebook into his bag and stood up.

"Whatever, man. I'm going back to school." He walked out, leaving Jeremie standing there, completely confused. After a few minutes, Jeremie shook it off and returned to gathering the information they had, sticking it in his bag to find later.

"Where's Odd?" Jeremie looked up to Yumi and Aelita coming out of the shelves of books.

"He went home already." Yumi and Aelita didn't say anything. This entire situation was draining on them all. Odd would probably understand better in the morning, but, until then, it was best not to lay the blame on anybody.

They left the library, each lost deep in their own thoughts about what could have possibly happened to Ulrich. They were focused on what they knew, and everything they didn't, that they didn't notice the stranger watching them leave. They didn't even see when the stranger vanished using a world jump.


End file.
